Liesl Tommy to Direct PASS OVER at Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announces acclaimed director Liesl Tommy, who received a Tony nomination for her direction of Eclipsed by Danai Gurira on Broadway, will direct Steppenwolf's world premiere production of Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu. The cast features ensemble member Jon Michael Hill and Cliff Chamberlain with one remaining role to be announced.

Pass Over runs June 1 - July 9, 2017 in the Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N Halsted St. Press performances are Saturday, June 10 at 3pm and Tuesday, June 13 at 7:30pm. Tickets ($20-$89) go on sale today, Friday, February 24 at 11am through Audience Services at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org. NOTE: There will be a limited number of $30 seats for all performances of Pass Over. Seats are located in the first front two rows of the theatre offering an intimate and exciting view of the show. To access, enter code "CLOSEUP" online or mention when calling Audience Services at 312-335-1650.

In this bold, incendiary riff on Waiting for Godot, two young black men stand around on the corner-talking shit, killing time and hoping that maybe today will be different. When a white man wanders into their space, an escalating crisis threatens to prevent their escape from the block. In Pass Over, pop culture, historical and religious references collide to create a hilarious and disturbing mediation on manhood, race and the cycle of violence that prevents too many from realizing their full potential.

Liesl Tommy is an award-winning international theatre director known for her development of exciting new political works as well as her innovative interpretation of classics. She was the first woman of color nominated for a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for Eclipsed by Danai Gurira, starring Lupita Nyong'o on Broadway. Other acclaimed world premieres she has directed include The Good Negro and The Urban Retreat at The Public and Frozen for Disney.

Ms. Tommy's additional credits include Party People, Informed Consent, A Melancholy Play, Kid Victory,Appropriate, The White Man - A Complex Declaration of Love, Peggy Picket Sees the Face of God, A History of Light and Angela's Mixtape, LES MISERABLES, Hamlet, A Raisin in the Sun, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Ruined. She was an associate artist at Berkeley Rep, program associate at Sundance Institute and artist trustee with The Sundance Institute's Board of Trustees and facilitated the inaugural Sundance East Africa Theatre Director's Lab in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She has received an Obie Award, Lucille Lortel Award, Pioneer of the Arts Award, Lillian Hellman Award, Alan Schneider Award, Susan Stroman Award and NEA/TCG Directors Grant. She is an alumnus of Trinity Rep Conservatory and a proud native of Cape Town, South Africa.

Antoinette Nwandu (Playwright) is a member of the Ars Nova Play Group. Her plays have been produced and developed by Page73, Ars Nova, The Flea and Naked Angels, among others. She is the recipient of the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, the Negro Ensemble Company's Douglas Turner Ward Prize and a Literary Fellowship at the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference. In spring 2016, Pass Over received a workshop as part of the Cherry Lane Mentor Project under the mentorship of Katori Hall.

Jon Michael Hill has been a Steppenwolf ensemble member since 2007, and was most recently seen in last season's Constellations. Cliff Chamberlain returns to Steppenwolf for this production after last being seen in The Herd.

The Pass Over production team includes Wilson Chin (scenic design), Dede Ayite (costume design), Marcus Doshi (lighting design) and Ray Nardelli (sound design and original music). Additional credits include Cassie Calderone (stage manager), Kathleen Barrett (assistant stage manager), JC Clementz (casting director) andAaron Carter (artistic producer).

Single tickets ($20-$89) to Pass Over go on sale today Friday, February 24 at 11am through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted), 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org. Note: Pass Over is an additional summer show and not offered as part of the 2016/17 Subscription Season; however, subscribers and Steppenwolf Black Card members have the option to purchase tickets before the general public. Previews: $20 - $54 and Regular Run: $20 - $89. Prices subject to change.

$30 Tickets: There will be a limited number of close up $30 seats for all performances of Pass Over. Seats are located in the first front two rows of the theatre, offering an intimate and exciting view of the show. To access, enter code "CLOSEUP" online or mention when calling Audience Services at 312-335-1650.

Rush Tickets: half-price rush tickets are available one hour before each show.

Student Discounts: a limited number of $15 student tickets are available online. Limit 2 tickets per student; must present a valid student ID for each ticket; steppenwolf.org/students.

Group Tickets: all groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate, steppenwolf.org/groups.

Black Card Memberships are for audiences interested in extreme flexibility. Cards include six tickets for use any time, for any production including the LookOut Series. The tickets are valid for one year with the option to add additional tickets as needed. Perks include easy and free exchanges, access to seats before the general public, savings on single ticket prices and bar and restaurant discounts for pre- and post-show socializing. More info atsteppenwolf.org/memberships

Accessible performances include an American Sign Language interpretation on Friday, June 23 at 7:30pm, Open Captioning on Saturday, June 24 at 3pm and a Touch Tour on Sunday June 25 at 1:30pm, Audio-Described performance at 3pm. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/access.

Steppenwolf's 2016/17 Season opened with the world premiere of Visiting Edna by David Rabe, directed by Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro (ended November 6), followed by the world premiere of Erika Sheffer's The Fundamentals (endedDecember 31, 2016) and The Christians by Lucas Hnath, directed by ensemble member K. Todd Freeman (ended January 29, 2017). Now playing is the Chicago premiere of Straight White Men, written and directed by Young Jean Lee (now -March 19, 2017); next up is the world premiere of Linda Vista by ensemble member Tracy Letts, directed by Dexter Bullard (March 30 - May 21, 2017); and the Chicago premiere of Hir by Taylor Mac, directed by Hallie Gordon (June 29 - August 20, 2017).

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier ensemble theater-redefining the landscape of acting and performance. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble has grown to 47 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions fromBalm in Gilead to August: Osage County-and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards-have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 14,000 participants annually from Chicago's diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. Steppenwolf's own Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks serves coffee, cocktails and a menu curated in partnership with the Boka Restaurant Group day and night. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf's Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr andinstagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

To post a comment, you must register and login.